Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is a biodiversity “superpower” according to a recent report from the United Nations. From tropical rainforests to coral reefs, to high-altitude plains to vast savannas, this region contains a variety of unique ecosystems that support a stunning diversity of flora and fauna. Many small producers and businesses in the region are dependent upon this endowment of natural capital for their livelihoods. But growing natural resource consumption and infrastructure expansion threatens these ecosystems and their inhabitants.

A lack of angel investors is one of the key issues in Latin America today, because entrepreneurs are not going to be successful if they don’t have the initial financial and value-add support they need to convert their ideas into start-ups. It is very important for a country to have angel investors willing to take on risk, to know how much they can allocate –and be willing to lose—in these start-ups every year. Angel networks in Latin America have had difficulty becoming really active for several reasons.

More and more people are beginning to recognize the great potential for job creation, private sector development and support to vulnerable populations microfranchise has. With that in mind I was asked to help moderate and contribute to this year’s Foromic panel titled Entrepreneurship Opportunities in Microfranchising. The microfranchise model enables low-income individuals to own and operate a ready-made “business-in-a-box,” utilizing proven strategies and an established brand from a corporate, franchise partner.